A Whole New Horizon
by storylover18
Summary: Aboard the Black Pearl, we find Elizabeth taking care of none other than Will Turner and the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow, who have been brought down not by Davy Jones but by the flu, a new horizon for all! Sure to have some cute moments and some humor!
1. We Have Our Heading

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean.**

**Summary: Aboard the _Black Pearl _with Captain Jack Sparrow, Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann. Takes place after **_**Curse of the Black Pearl**_** but before **_**Dead Man's Chest**_**. Will and Jack come down with the flu and poor Elizabeth is running back and forth between the two. Sure to have some cute moments as well as some humor! Reviews always welcome and much appreciated (:**

Elizabeth walked down the stairs leading to the brig of the_ Black Pearl_. After letting her eyes adjust to the darkness, she made her way between the hammocks hanging from the rafters until she found the one occupied bunk, an unusual occurrence for this time of day. She was pleased to find Will finally getting some rest; he had come down with what Elizabeth figured was the flu about two days ago but had only given into it's demands of rest and relaxation that morning. She turned and started making her way back towards the stairs when Will stirred.

"Elizabeth?" he mumbled as Elizabeth retreated to his side.

"I'm here, Will." she said gently, tucking a stray hair behind his ear. She watched as his eyes focused and smiled when they finally locked on hers.

"How are you feeling?" she asked. "Can I get you anything?"

"No, thanks. Just seeing you makes me feel better." Will said, returning Elizabeth's smile before turning away in a fit of coughing. Elizabeth stood by, feeling concerned. When Will regained his composure, he took Elizabeth's hand in his.

"You should probably be getting back on deck." he said, his voice horse.

"Aye." Elizabeth responded. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

Will nodded and closed his eyes as Elizabeth made her way back to the deck. She went to the edge of the ship and leaned on its steady timbers, allowing the wind and the waves to take her mind off to the edge of the map.

Jack Sparrow had retreated to his quarters shortly after he had ordered Will Turner to his bunk on account of the flu. And although there was almost nothing that could keep Captain Jack Sparrow from being on the bridge of his ship, he had decided that maybe it was time to take his own advice when he could no longer see straight on account of dizziness. Now, mid afternoon, he was in his own bed, wondering what he had done to deserve this. Absolutely miserable, he thought surely Davy Jones himself had ordered the pounding headache and constant dizziness and nausea. He looked around hopelessly for a bottle of rum to put an end to his misery but couldn't find one in sight. With a big sigh, he forced himself up.

"Oh." he let out a groan as the room swayed before his eyes. Unsteadily, using the wall for support, Jack made his way to the door and opened it and squinted as the bright sunlight hit his face. He started heading towards the stairs to go and fetch a bottle of relief but only made it a few steps before leaning over the rails and allowing the contents of his stomach empty into the sea.

Elizabeth was brought back to reality by the sound and sight of Jack vomiting over the side of the _Black Pearl_. She hurried over to him.

"Jack?" she asked. Jack swung his head around to her in an over-exaggerated motion and Elizabeth watch him fight for his balance.

"Aye, Love?" he asked, still swaying. Elizabeth put her hand on his shoulder, stabilizing him temporarily.

"Are you okay, Jack?" she asked, noting that the Captain was sporting the same pale completion as Will.

"Just need a bottle of rum, Lizzie. Now if you'd be so kind as to let me go…"

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows but released her grip on Jack and watched with amusement as he took a few steps before grabbing onto the rail to stop himself from falling onto the floor, or worse, the water.

"A bottle of rum, eh Jack?" Elizabeth asked, coming up beside him.

"Aye." Jack insisted.

"I don't think so, Captain Sparrow. Face it, Jack; you have the flu, just like Will."

"But Love, I am Captain Jack Sparrow. I don't get sick. Savvy?"

"You look bloody awful, Jack. You shouldn't even be out of bed."

"Look, Lizzie," Jack started.

"Jack, please?" Elizabeth gave him a hard stare and Jack finally relented.

"But only if you bring me a bottle of rum." he said as he allowed Elizabeth to lead him back to his cabin.

"I'll see what I can find, Jack. For now, just relax."

Jack rolled over on his bed, mumbling to himself.

"Bloody flu."

In spite of his distaste of the situation, sleep quickly found Captain Jack Sparrow.

**So…what do you think? Reviews are much appreciated-even if you didn't enjoy it that much. If that's the case, then please tell me **_**nicely **_**what you think I could change (: I'm open to hearing just about anything. **


	2. Drink Up Me Hearties

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean.**

**Thanks to all those who read and reviewed the first chapter (: I hope you enjoy this chapter. Apologies as to its length and just to give you a fair warning, I don't know how often I'll be able to update seeing as school starts tomorrow. You've been warned!**

Once again, Elizabeth Swann found herself starring out at the never ending horizon, and like Jack, wondering what she had done to deserve this. Not that she necessarily minded taking care of Jack and Will…it's just that she had left that…assumption of responsibility back in Port Royal. After stalling for a few minutes more, letting the waves embrace her in a trance, Elizabeth headed back down to the brig to check on Will. As she approached his hammock, she became concerned with what she saw.

Will was sweating out a bad fever, his face flushed and his clothes and bunk damp. His sleep was restless and filled with fever induced dreams. Elizabeth quickly fetched a bucket of water, along with rag and cup. She moistened the rag and began methodically wiping Will's face and neck. She watched as his face relaxed at the cool touch and after a few minutes, he opened his eyes and looked around with confusion.

"Here. You need to drink." Elizabeth slid a hand behind Will and helped him sit up and held a cup to his parched lips. Will quickly finished the water and Elizabeth refilled the cup and watched Will finish that one too. She slowly let him back down and she felt his body relax.

"Thanks." Will mumbled before his eyes drifted closed again. Elizabeth studied Will's face. At the moment, it was somewhat peaceful, although a bit pale in color. The entire scene reminded Elizabeth of when she first met Will aboard the Dauntless. Elizabeth was lost in her thoughts and jumped when Will mumbled her name.

"'Lizabeth…"

"I'm here, Will." She said, taking one of his hands in hers. Although Will didn't wake up, he seemed to relax at her touch. It took all Elizabeth's will power to pull her hands away, place the cool rag on Will's brow and then head upstairs to check on the Captain.

Captain Jack Sparrow was snoring softly when Elizabeth opened the door to his cabin. Elizabeth quietly made her way to the bed, not wanting to wake Jack and incur his wrath. Jack Sparrow did not like to be woken and Jack Sparrow did not like being, well, human so Elizabeth was pretty sure that if she woke him up while he was ill that it would not be enjoyable for either one of them. She found out that she was right.

Elizabeth turned on her heel to leave, causing one of the floorboards to creak. Jack shot up, pistol loaded and aimed.

"Who's there?" he mumbled, still groggy and very dizzy from the sudden movement.

"Relax, Jack." Elizabeth reached out and lowered the pistol. "It's me; it's Elizabeth."

"Oh, Lizzie," Jack said slumping down again, having used every available ounce of energy he had. Elizabeth took the pistol from his limp hand and placed it on the table.

"Did you bring the rum?" Jack asked and Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

"No, Jack, I didn't bring the rum."

Jack cocked his head at Elizabeth.

"And why not?"

"Because you're ill, Jack."

"So? That's no excuse." Jack retorted.

"Water. You get water." Elizabeth left and came back sporting a bottle of water. She handed the bottle to Jack, who pulled the cork out and sniffed it.

"It's water, Jack. Drink it." Elizabeth used a no-nonsense tone and Jack took a small sip.

"There, I had a sip. Now may I please have some rum?" he pleaded. Elizabeth threw up her hands in frustration.

"Go to sleep, Jack. And finish that bottle." Elizabeth told him before leaving the cabin, totally frustrated.

**Please review! I'm having a hard time writing this…Jack especially is so hard to keep in character…any encouragement or suggestions are highly appreciated!**


	3. Take What You Can

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean. I am merely playing with all of Disney's genius characters.**

**First of all, like always, I want to thank all of my readers for taking the time to look at this. Without readers, a story is like a screen door on a submarine: useless. So thank you! Second of all, I want to apologize for 2 things: the time between posting and the lengths of the chapters. Now that school is in, it's hard to find time to write but I'll do my best. Also, the chapters are going to be shorter but now that I know where I want to go with the story, there's going to be more of them : ) So please enjoy this chapter. **

Elizabeth walked back into Jack's cabin an hour later, pleased to see that the bottle was empty. Elizabeth tuned to leave.

"It wasn't as good as rum." Jack said, without even opening his eyes. Elizabeth jumped and spun around to face Jack, who was now propped up on his elbows.

"Jack, you scared me! I thought you were asleep."

"I wish I was, Deary. But this bloody headache is keeping me awake."

Elizabeth frowned, deep in thought.

"I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere." Elizabeth turned and left.

"Couldn't if I wanted to." Jack muttered to no one in particular. Jack looked out the window at the billowing sails of his ship and beyond that, the open sea. He hated being sick, he always had. It was so unnatural for him to sit around and do nothing-that is, without the company of a bottle of rum-and it drove him insane. He wished that he could get up and walk out to the bridge of the _Pearl_ and feel the wind on his face but he was pretty sure that if he did he would probably fall into the sea and maybe worse, face the wrath of Elizabeth. As if on cue, Elizabeth reappeared in Jack's cabin, sporting the bucket that had been sitting by Will's bed. Elizabeth dipped a fresh rag into it and wrung it out. Jack eyed it warily.

"What does it do?" he asked. Elizabeth laughed.

"Relax, Jack. It's just a rag. Lie back."

Jack obeyed and Elizabeth came and sat on the edge of the bed. She reached over and place the cloth so that it was resting just below Jack's bandana.

"It's not doing anything." Jack said.

"It's not supposed to do anything. But doesn't it make your headache feel better?"

Jack didn't want to admit it, but it did. However, he said,

"It makes me feel like a dish, Elizabeth." Jack reached up to try and remove it but Elizabeth caught his hand.

"Leave it be. It'll help your headache and it will also bring down your fever."

Jack tried to reach up again. This time, Elizabeth didn't try to stop him.

"Thank you." Jack felt somewhat victorious, yanking the strip of cloth off his forehead and tossing it back in the bucket. Elizabeth rose to go.

"Okay," she said with an exaggerated sigh. "but I guess that means you don't wan this."

Elizabeth pulled a pouch similar to that of Mr. Gibbs' from her pocket. Elizabeth swung it in front of Jack.

"Gimme!" he said, reaching for it but Elizabeth pulled it out of his range. She look at the bucket, at Jack and back to the bucket. Jack sighed and rolled his eyes, knowing his victory was now becoming a defeat.

"Oh, fine." He grumbled. Elizabeth smiled as she watched Jack half-heartedly wring out the cloth and slap in on his face.

"Happy? Now give me the rum." Jack said, the rag covering his eyes. Elizabeth handed over the rum.

"Keep it there, Jack. Otherwise there'll be no more rum." Elizabeth warned. Jack paid no attention, his entire focus on that first sip of rum.

**Please, review! Pretty please, with Jack Sparrow on top!**

**Oh…and one last note…if you've been paying attention, you'll have noticed that each chapter is a quote from the movies. If you can think of a really good quote you think I might be able to use, please let me know! I'll give credit where due, of course : )**


	4. At the Moment

**Disclaimer: Same deal. Don't own a thing.**

**Thanks to all those who have read/reviewed/favourite-ed this story! I know it's not that great, as of late, but I really hope that it's about to get better. This is the last "filler" chapter. Every chapter after this will have a lot of dialogue as well as some humor and romance. But still try to enjoy this chapter…just gives so insight into Elizabeth's thoughts…**

Relieved to have Jack out of her hair for the time being, Elizabeth headed below deck to spend some time with Will. He hadn't been awake when she went down there to get the bucket from below his bunk but Elizabeth had noted that he wasn't looked that good. Elizabeth was halfway down the stairs when she realized she would have to get another bucket of water so she turned around, scampered across the deck, found a second bucket, filled it with water and hauled it down the stairs, sloshing some of it onto the floor. She settled herself into a rickety chair beside Will's hammock and removed the damp cloth from his forehead, dunked it and repositioned it. Elizabeth laid her hand across Will's cheek, concerned at how warm his skin was. She withdrew her hand and sat, studying Will's features.

He had a strong face, marked with the scars and cuts of a pirate. His eyes, usually sharp and clear, were closed with lines emanating from the corners, evidence of his illness. His brow was creased as if he had a headache and his mouth formed a frown. All in all, Elizabeth concluded, Will looked as if he was absolutely miserable. Elizabeth repeated the process of removing, dunking and repositioning the rag before sitting back and looking around the belly of the ship. There were hammocks hung 3 high and close together. There wasn't a lot of space around these parts for that many crew but everyone did the best they could. Jack had been kind and gave her a cabin. It was small but at least she had some sense of privacy. Elizabeth had to smile at the memory. Jack had been very stubborn in insisting that she take the cabin. Elizabeth had taken it just to shut Jack up. Jack could be stubborn about just about everything if he wanted to be. Elizabeth rolled her eyes, as if almost reliving the frustration of what had happened with Jack only a few moments earlier. It was strange, she noted, how different Will and Jack were. Well, they were always different but even in exactly the same condition-in this case, ill-they were complete opposites. Jack was stubborn, as always, refusing to admit defeat and after finally giving into illness, becoming totally helpless, complaining and taking every chance to make Elizabeth's life more difficult. Or so it seemed. Will had been strong, trying to over look his sickness, too, but once he was ordered to admit defeat to it, he did and although there was nothing he could do to make himself feel better, he didn't make Elizabeth mind caring for him.

"'Lizabeth…"

The sound of Will's voice brought Elizabeth's mind back to the belly of the _Black Pearl_, back to being at the bedside of Will Turner.

"I'm here, Will." she said gently, pushing a stray piece of hair back into place.

"Miss Swann…at least once more…"

Elizabeth was confused.

"Will?" she asked, wondering if he was okay, or as okay as he could be given the circumstances. When Will didn't answer, Elizabeth realized that he was talking in his sleep. She smiled to herself.

"I've already got a girl, mate…"

Will tossed and turned, making it clear to Elizabeth that he was fully involved in some sort of dream. He flailed his arm and Elizabeth recognized the motion; it was how he threw his sword.

"…you're a bloody pirate!" he mumbled. Elizabeth let out a small laugh. Obviously, this was his pre-pirate days.

"…day we captured Cap'n Ja…row."

Elizabeth smiled. She knew the story; Jack Sparrow had escaped from the Royal Navy after using her as a bargaining chip, went into Brown's Blacksmith Shop, ran into Will and fought himself free only to be defeated by a half empty bottle of rum, of all things.

Elizabeth reached over to Will and removed the rag, doused it and wiped down his face and neck. This seemed to wake Will up a bit.

"Elizabeth…" Will breathed lightly, a faint smile on his lips.

"Shh." Elizabeth said soothingly, running her fingers through his hair. "It's okay, I'm here."

Elizabeth's presence seemed to relax Will's entire body and Elizabeth watched as his body went limp from their rigid position. It didn't take long until Will was fast asleep again, leaving Elizabeth to tend to him.

**Like I said, I know this isn't that great but please still review…either encouragements or suggestions. Don't forget, still looking for chapter names that are quotes! As you can see, the title doesn't usually incorporate into what's happening in the chapter, more the mood portrayed throughout it. As always, credit will be given : ) **


	5. Give Nothing Back

**Disclaimer: Ye know the drill: I am but a humble writer, who owns nothing. **

**Hey everyone! The numbers are climbing and that makes me VERY happy : ) I hope you enjoy this chapter…in my opinion, it's by far the best one there is. More to come soon…it's my hope that it only gets better from here. Enjoy!**

Elizabeth needed to get out of the brig. She had been sitting down there for hours on end, tending to poor Will, who was not getting any better. For hours, she had been repeatedly wiping down his body, trying in vain to get his temperature down. Maybe she should try and get him to the deck, where the sea breezes could cool him off. Elizabeth was contemplating the idea when Mr. Gibbs came rushing down the stairs.

"Miss Elizabeth, you'd better come quick. It's the Captain."

"What's wrong?" Elizabeth was on her feet in flash, surprised at how concerned she became at the new that something was wrong with Jack.

"The Capt'n, he's singing." Mr. Gibbs sounded so worried that Elizabeth had to do a double take.

"Jack is signing?" she asked.

"Aye." Mr. Gibbs turned to go back up the stairs and Elizabeth turned back to Will, placed the cloth firmly on his forehead and then followed Mr. Gibbs all the way to Jack's cabin. Elizabeth could hear Jack signing from inside.

"Yo ho! Yo ho! You Who! Yo Ho!"

"I'll be around if ye need me." Mr. Gibbs said before running off. Elizabeth rolled her eyes and walked into Jack's cabin.

"Feeling better, Jack?" she asked, amused by the sight. Jack was lying on his bed, cradling his bottle of rum. She noticed the rag had been dumped in a pile on the floor.

"Rum is a beautiful thing, love." Jack said, holding the pouch up, expecting the rum to flow into his mouth. However, nothing came out. Jack gave it a shake only to come out dry. He put the cork back in the small leather pouch and held it out Elizabeth.

"I seem to be out. Be a dearie, would you Lizzie, and get ol' Jack some more?"

"Hold on a minute, Jack. I thought our accord was rum in exchange for the rag."

Elizabeth and Jack both looked at the rag crumpled on the floor.

"I thought we could just assume they were more…guidelines." Jack said. Elizabeth just raised her eyebrow and Jack knew that he wasn't going to win this, even if he was Captain Jack Sparrow.

"So if I put that cursed piece of cloth back on my face, I can have more rum?" Jack asked.

"If you'll let me see if you still have a fever and you promise to leave the rag alone, yes, you can have more rum." Elizabeth bargained. It was pretty clear by this point that rum and only rum was going to keep Jack quiet and although Elizabeth still despised the drink, Will needed her more than Jack did at the moment. So she was willing to let Jack have his rum, even though it was doing weird things to him. For heaven's sake, he was _singing_. Although, Elizabeth realized, that if he was singing, he couldn't be that ill.

"Agreed." Jack would do just about anything to get more rum and, given the facts that no one bothered coming into his cabin besides Elizabeth and that he could barely lie still without getting dizzy, much less walk around, Elizabeth was his only hope for finding more liquid relief.

Elizabeth didn't say anything but stooped to pick up the rag, not surprised it was long dry by this point. She guessed that Jack had flung it off the minutes the door closed-and although unaware of it, she couldn't be more right. She dipped it in the bucket of water and wrung it out. Before placing it carefully, Elizabeth laid her hand on Jack's cheek. His skin was still warm to the touch but nothing compared to Will's, at the moment.

Jack, on the other hand, was enjoying the coolness of Elizabeth's hand on his face. He didn't want to admit how lousy he felt and he found some relief in Elizabeth's presence. Not in a "lovey-dovey let's break out the drinks" sort of way but more of "I'll look out for you if you look out for me" feeling. It was and always had been a comfort for Jack, although it was his secret, one that he often didn't even admit to himself. He somehow felt embarrassed to have feelings for anything other than the sea and his ship. Jack felt Elizabeth remove her hand and lay the cool piece of cloth across his forehead. Although it lacked the personal touch of Elizabeth's hand, it had the same cooling relief, one that rum didn't have.

"I'll be back with your rum, Jack." Elizabeth said, gathering the pouch before leaving. When Elizabeth returned, she was pleased to find that the rag was still in its original place, untouched. Jack may be a pirate, but he had an honest streak, always trying to be a man of his word. He called it his own sort of curse at times. Well this time it was doing him well. What pleased Elizabeth even more was that Jack was sound asleep. She placed the rum next to him, knowing he'd want it when he awoke. He always took what he could and gave nothing back-it was one of his many mantras. Well, in this case, he gave back some rather off pitch songs that no one wanted. Elizabeth, along with the rest of the crew-Mr. Gibbs especially-hoped he would go for give nothing back at all the next time he awoke.

**Part of this chapter focused on "take what you can….give nothing back." But please can you break from the pirate code and review? Please? **


	6. Not All Treasure is Silver and Gold

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean.**

**Hey everyone! I feel kinda bad right now…the story hasn't been very good so far, in my opinion. But I will keep on trying and I want to thank you all for reading it (: Please enjoy this chapter and, if you feel moved to, please review!**

By the time Elizabeth left Jack's cabin, the sun was beginning to lower into the western horizon. Within a few hours, the moon would rise and everyone (minus the few who would run the ship) would retreat to their bunks and be lulled to sleep by slow rocking of the ship. Elizabeth ducked down and descended the steep stairs down into the brig. She followed her well-worn path to Will's bedside. Elizabeth gave a tired sigh as she began methodically wiping down Will's face and body once again.

After what Elizabeth guessed to be about half and hour, she noticed a change in Will. All of a sudden he was sweating profusely. Elizabeth put down the rag and placed her hand on Will's cheek. Much to her relief, she found that Will's fever had broken. With a smile, she picked up the rag again, wrung it out with more cool water from her trusty bucket and began wiping away the excessive sweat that was now soaking Will entirely. She did her best to keep him comfortable but she quickly realized it was a losing battle. She needed a change of clothes-dry ones. She was contemplating what to do when Will came around.

"Will." Elizabeth said soothingly, a smile gracing her lips. Will gave a weak smile back.

"Elizabeth." Will breathed lightly.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, wiping down his forehead again. Will sighed.

"Tired and a trifle uncomfortable." Will joked and Elizabeth laughed. Will smiled, glad to see Elizabeth smile. She looked really tired, he noted.

"How are you doing?" Will asked.

"I'm doing alright." Elizabeth said honestly.

"How long have you been down here with me?" Will asked, cocking his head.

"Most of the day. Between you and Jack, I've been doing nothing but running back and forth taking care of you two."

"Between me and Jack?" Will sounded confused. Elizabeth didn't make eye contact but continued sponging down Will's face.

"Jack took to his quarters shortly after he sent you down below. He then decided that the solution to his problems could be found in a bottle of rum. So he went to fetch one but only made it as far as the edge of the ship, where he vomited."

"Jack threw up over the side of the_ Black Pearl_?" Will's voice held a bit of suspicion and a hint of laughter.

"Believe it or not." Elizabeth met Will's eyes.

"So then what happened?"

"I managed to get him back to his cabin where he continued to pester me about rum until I finally gave it to him just to shut him up."

Will actually laughed out loud but then broke into a coughing fit.

"Is he doing okay now?" he asked when he recovered.

"Aye. He was asleep when I was there a few moments ago. I'm just glad you're feeling a bit better."

"That makes two of us. I don't remember much, except seeing you once and awhile." Will smiled again.

"You don't remember fighting Jack?" Elizabeth said with a laugh. Will, of course, had no idea what she was talking about.

"I fought Jack? I thought Jack took to his cabin?"

"He did. I'm teasing, Will. You were having a dream. You were fighting Jack the night the _Black Pearl _invaded Port Royal."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. You called me Miss Swann, even."

"I didn't."

"You did." Elizabeth smiled.

"Well, _Miss Swann_," Will said with another weak smile. "I wish to thank you for taking care of me today."

"Will, there's no need to thank me." Elizabeth's eyes darted back and forth, not meeting Will's. She continued wiping down his face. Will reached up and grabbed her hand.

"Yes, I do. I wouldn't be better if it wasn't for you."

"Hold on, Will. You're not better yet; you're feeling pretty good right now, yes, but that can all change overnight. You're going to stay low for at least a few more days."

Will realized, like Jack, that he wasn't going to get around Elizabeth so he just smiled.

"Yes ma'am." He said before yawning.

"Are you hungry?" Elizabeth asked, realizing that he hadn't eaten all day.

"A little." Will admitted.

"Then I'll go see what I can whip up. You stay put." Elizabeth gave Will a kiss on the cheek before heading off to what the crew of _Black Pearl _called a kitchen, but in reality was only a stove with a couple of pots and a few splintered bowls.

**Please review?**


	7. What Bodes Ill For Jack Sparrow

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean. **

**I finally feel that this is catching some winds in its sails. And that's mostly due to you, my faithful readers. So, as always, thanks are in order. So thank you! Please enjoy this chapter and I hope to have another one up soon!**

Elizabeth put the black iron pot onto the stove, which was really a piece of metal suspended over an enclosed fire pit. She chopped up what she could-a few pieces of chicken, some carrots and shelled a few peas and dumped it all into the boiling water. She added what few spices she could find and then waited for it to thicken a little bit. While she was stirring it, absent-mindedly staring at the wall in front of her, Mr. Gibbs came down to the kitchen.

"Miss Elizabeth." he greeted her. Elizabeth whirled around, putting a hand to her chest.

"Mr. Gibbs, you scared me!" she gasped.

"Sorry, missy. Just looking for some rum to refill me pouch." He waved an empty pouch in Elizabeth's face for her to see.

"There's a bottle in the cupboard." Elizabeth said, pointing. Mr. Gibbs went over and took out the bottle.

"Thanks, lassie. What brings ye down here?" he asked, carefully filling his pouch. When it was filled, he offered Elizabeth a swig from the bottle but she shook her head. Mr. Gibbs shrugged and then took a gulp himself before re-corking it and slamming it back into the drawer.

"Making some soup for Will and Jack." She said, turning back to stir the bubbling pot.

"Soup, eh? I bet the Cap'n can't remember the last time he had soup, made by a woman, much less."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Elizabeth hadn't meant to sound offensive, but that's how it came out. Mr. Gibbs let out a guffaw.

"No injustice intended, Miss Elizabeth. But ye have to understand, Jack's been own his lonesome since he was just a wee lad. He's used to looking out for himself. In fact, this is the first time I've ever seen Jack take to his quarters."

"Surely Jack's been sick before." Elizabeth responded. Someone with Jack's level of personal hygiene had to fall ill more than once in his life time.

"Aye, Jack's been under the weather before. But he didn't go to bed like any sensible person would. Instead, he would stand on the bridge of the _Pearl_ and follow wherever the voices in his head would lead him. We had to be mighty careful when Jack was steering the ship. Almost caused us to run aground a couple of times."

"Really?" Elizabeth couldn't believe her ears. Jack was one of the best seamen she knew.

"Aye." Mr. Gibbs took a swig of rum. "But hasn't happened in years, now. I suppose we're lucky to have you around now to keep the Cap'n in line. And in bed." Mr. Gibbs added before leaving Elizabeth and her pot of soup.

Their conversation filled Elizabeth's mind as she dished up two healthy portions of soup and a roll apiece. She decided to take Will's his first as he was closer. Will ate almost the whole bowl, much to Elizabeth's relief. It looked as if the worst was over for young Mr. Turner. Almost as soon as Elizabeth took the bowl from his hands, Will fell asleep. Elizabeth placed a soft kiss on his temple and then went to take some supper to Jack.

Elizabeth entered Jack's cabin quietly, in case he was still sleeping, in which case she made a mental not to make sure his pistol was out of range. But Jack wasn't asleep. In fact, he was lying in his bed, staring at the ceiling. Most surprisingly, Jack had left the rag in its place; Elizabeth was quite pleased. Jack turned when he heard the door open and then went back to staring at the ceiling.

"Hello, Jack." Elizabeth said.

"So did you come to pay me a visit?" Jack asked, picking up his compass from beside him, holding it up so he could see it and open it.

"I brought you something to eat." Elizabeth offered the bowl out to Jack. Jack propped himself up on his elbows and looked at the bowl and sniffed.

"What is it?" he asked, his nose wrinkling a little.

"It's soup, Jack."

"Is there rum in it?" Jack asked what, in his opinion, was the million dollar question. Elizabeth knew where this was headed so she cut straight to the chase.

"No but if you eat it all, I'll get you some more rum."

"We have a deal." Jack said, taking the bowl and spoon from Elizabeth's hands. He tentatively took his first bite.

"Well?" Elizabeth asked. Jack swallowed and flexed his tongue in that way that only Jack Sparrow can.

"It's interesting, Lizzie."

"I'm sorry I'm not much of a cook. And there's not much to work with here."

Jack took another bite and then looked at Elizabeth.

"I've had much worse, Love, believe me."

Elizabeth smiled.

"Like really bad eggs?" she asked.

"Really bad eggs and no rum." Jack responded, putting a smile on Elizabeth's face. Jack, true to his word, finished off the bowl of soup and then demanded his rum. Elizabeth fetched it for him and, like Will, after a swig of rum to wash everything down, Jack fell asleep almost instantly. Elizabeth rewet the rag and positioned it, pushing up Jack's bandana as far as she dared and left it there, closing the door behind her, hoping that Captain Jack would be feeling somewhat better in the morning.

**Please review? **


	8. A Matter of Leverage

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean.**

**As per normal, thank you to all my readers and reviewers! I can't tell you how much reading your reviews mean to me…but I'll try. Let's just say that I'm in college and I actually squealed when I read some of them : ) I'm really getting into writing this story, finding that it's becoming more filled with action and humor. So please enjoy : )**

The next morning, Elizabeth rose to find a sky that blended with the sea in an unattractive gray color. She dressed and went about her morning chores aboard the _Pearl_ before going to check on her two patients. She went down to see Will and found him reading a book in the dim light of a lantern suspended from the rafters.

"Good morning." She said with a smile. Will looked up, returned her smile and put down his book.

"'Morning."

"Where'd you get that?" Elizabeth asked, leaning against one of the sturdy beams that made up the_ Pearl_'s brig.

"Master Gibbs, believe it or not."

"Mr. Gibbs?" Elizabeth repeated, believing it. Will nodded.

"Said if I knew what was good for me that I'd stay put today."

Elizabeth laughed.

"He's a wise man. How're you feeling?"

"Still tired and a bit achy." Will admitted.

"Fever gone?" Elizabeth asked, coming over and laying the back of her hand across Will's cheek. Will reached up, took it and pulled it towards his lips for a kiss.

"Well?" Will asked, releasing his grip on Elizabeth's hand.

"You're still a tad warm but nothing to be concerned about."

"Ah." Will said, nodding. "How's Jack today?"

"I haven't been in to see him yet. I was heading there next."

"Aye. You'd better get up there then."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes but nodded her head.

"Wish me luck. The old devil is an ornery as a bear."

Will laughed at the level of Elizabeth's distaste for Jack.

"Good luck, Elizabeth. You know that Jack appreciates it. As do I."

"Don't want to hear it, Will." Elizabeth called as she walked towards the stairs. She heard Will laugh again as she felt a faint mist on her face when she reached the top of the stairs. She made her way carefully across the slick deck to Jack's cabin. She knocked, against her better judgement, and then cautiously entered the cabin. Jack, like Will, was still in bed.

"Good morning." Elizabeth said cheerfully, trying to make the best out of the situation.

"A good morning it is not." Jack greeted her. Elizabeth's smile fell.

"Well, if you want to ruin the ambiance right away." Elizabeth muttered.

"Love, the only ambiance here is how the empty rum bottle matches my thirst. They desperately want to rendezvous but said bottle is incapable of upholding its end of the bargain."

"How are you feeling?" Elizabeth asked, ignoring his request for rum so early in the day.

"Did you not catch that, Lizzie? My rum bottle is empty." Jack looked right at her from his position, which, in Elizabeth's opinion, looked terribly uncomfortable.

"Do you ever do anything besides drink rum?" Elizabeth asked.

"My first love is the sea, Elizabeth, and my second love is my full bottle. Full of rum." Jack quickly tacked on that last bit, thinking about where Elizabeth could've taken that.

"Well then, I guess it's a good thing that Barbossa stranded you on an island full of the vile drink." Elizabeth shot back.

"That's got nothing to do with it. Why, I'm Captain Jack Sparrow, mate, and I would've gotten off that island with or without the rum."

"And I suppose the only difference is that you would've been off the island 3 days sooner without the rum."

"Precisely. I'm glad we've all reached the understanding that I love rum, so if you would be so kind." Jack held up the empty bottle and shook it. Elizabeth didn't even bother asking where he had gotten an actual bottle, seeing as she had left him with just a drinking pouch yesterday. Unbeknown to her, Master Gibbs had paid a visit to each of her patients that day-delivering a book and, of course, a bottle of rum. Elizabeth threw up her hands in frustration.

"You're impossible, Jack!" she exclaimed.

"That's a bit bold, mate. It's all a matter of knowing how to get what you want. Take me, for example. I wanted the _Pearl_ back so I used the young Mr. Turner's blood to get it back. Now you, you want me to tell you how I'm feeling this forsaken morning, then you should take advantage that I am lacking, and wanting, rum. Savvy?" Jack looked convincingly at Elizabeth. Elizabeth scoured, snatched the outstretched bottle and turned on her heel.

"Don't slam the door!" Jack called after her. Elizabeth went down into the brig and filled the bottle half full. She stomped back upstairs and re-entered Jack's cabin without knocking.

"Here." she said, handing over the bottle.

"Many thanks, Love." Jack said, taking a big swig. "Ah, that's like music to the ears."

"Now, how are you feeling?" Elizabeth asked and Jack sighed.

"I'll live, if that's what you're worried about." Jack said and Elizabeth raised her eyebrow.

"Jack." she said, in a warning tone.

"Let's just say that it's a good thing I'm not steering the ship, Deary."

Elizabeth went up to Jack and did the same thing she had with Will, only Jack didn't try to kiss her hand.

"You're still warm." Elizabeth noted, sitting on the edge of Jack's bed.

"You're not going to make me use that rag thingy again, are you?" Jack hoped with all his heart she would say no.

"No. But I do want you to rest. Doctors orders." Elizabeth rose to leave.

"You're not a doctor." Jack couldn't resist pointing out.

"No, but you're sick and I'm not. That makes me more of a doctor than you right now. Now rest, Jack. I mean it-stay put."

Elizabeth left before Jack could respond. Jack took a lonely swig of rum, watching Elizabeth leave.

"Yes, doctor." he mumbled before rolling over and letting the rocking of the ship lull him to sleep, all the while clutching his precious bottle of rum.

**Such a long chapter merits even a short review. Please? **


	9. Disinclined to Acquiesce to Your Request

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean. **

**Hey everyone! Thanks to everyone who's been reading and reviewing. As always, they put a smile on my face and make a bright part of my day. I hope you enjoy this chapter…it's part 1 of 2 of the climax. Enjoy!**

"Jack is driving me crazy!" Elizabeth stormed down below deck and made her way to Will's hammock in a very ungentle manner. Will put down his book and smiled at Elizabeth's raged face.

"Why?" he asked.

"First, he wouldn't even answer any question I asked him before I got him rum. And then when I finally got him some of that bloody drink, he scoffed at me for trying to help him. Said I wasn't a doctor. Bloody well, I'm not but maybe he'd prefer to be wandering around the ship vomiting over the ship's edge."

Elizabeth was pacing back and forth as she vented.

"And then when I went to bring him some lunch he told me that it was best for all involved if I stay out of the kitchen aboard his precious _Pearl_. The nerve of him! Perhaps he'd rather starve without me to bring him his bread. But, being a good nurse, I ignored his comments, accounting them to him being sick and uncomfortable."

"Of course." Will said with a smile, somewhat teasingly. Elizabeth stopped and whirled around to look at him.

"You think this is funny?" Elizabeth exclaimed. Will looked at Elizabeth, her nostrils flaring as she breathed hard, her hair falling out of its loose braid in a frazzled way.

"No, of course not." Will smiled sympathetically.

"Then why are you laughing?" Elizabeth's hard shell cracked and her eyes filled with tears.

"Come here, Elizabeth." Will's voice was gentle and he held out his hands. Elizabeth stumbled into them and the hammock swayed and the beams let out a groan as Elizabeth fell into Will's lap. Will took one of his rough hands and started stroking Elizabeth's hair while she let all her frustrations out in sobs. When she calmed down, Will spoke.

"I know its frustrating dealing with Jack. It can be frustrating when he's well; I give you credit for putting up with him when he's sick."

Will paused and Elizabeth muttered "aye" to show that she was following. Will coughed and then continued.

"I know it's hard, Elizabeth, especially when he doesn't show that he appreciate it. But take heart, he's grateful for the care you're giving him."

"Would it kill him to show it once and awhile?" Elizabeth exclaimed, in a moment of rage.

"He's Cap'n Jack Sparrow." Will said with a sigh. "Sadly, this means that it probably would kill him to show that he can have an affection thought."

Elizabeth laughed out loud at the thought. Will smiled again.

"There's that beautiful smile." Will said, still stroking her hair. Elizabeth turned and looked lovingly at Will.

"Thank you." Elizabeth said, planting a delicate kiss on Will's still-too-warm forehead.

"I should probably go check on Jack soon." Elizabeth muttered, her forehead resting on Will's.

"Hmm." Will said, enjoying Elizabeth's touch and then Elizabeth pulled away.

"Why don't you bring Jack down here?" Will asked.

"Bring Jack-Captain Jack Sparrow-down here?" Elizabeth looked at Will as though he was crazy.

"Aye. It'll give him something to do, give me something to do and get both of us out of your hair for awhile."

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Elizabeth asked, warming up to the idea after a few minutes.

"Aye." Will said, sounding very confident.

"Okay. We'll be down soon."

Elizabeth stood up, causing the beams to groan once again.

"Can't wait." Will said with a smile, picking up his book again. Elizabeth laughed softly as she went up to the deck. She went to Jack's cabin and entered.

"Am I all that's on your mind today, Love? I've told you a many times, Lizzie, things will never work between us." Jack said, without even opening his closed eyes. Elizabeth wondered how he knew it was her. Elizabeth rolled her eyes at Jack's snarky comment.

"Get up." She ordered. Jack's eyes shot open and he turned to face her.

"Come again?" he said, his nose crinkling.

"Get up. Come on, up." Elizabeth ordered again. She went to the bed and pulled Jack into a sitting a position.

"Not without my hat." Jack said. He refused to get up any further before Elizabeth firmly placed his hat on his head.

"Now where might we be going?" Jack asked getting to his feet unsteadily. Against his will, he clutched Elizabeth's arm for balance. He hated this; he hated having to cling to someone for support, not because of too much rum (with Elizabeth around, that would never happen) but because of a bloody cold.

"We're going below deck." Elizabeth said, slowly walking towards the door, supporting most of Jack's weight.

"And what are we doing below deck? Going to the rum cellar?" Jack asked, filled with a moment of hope.

"Not a chance, Jack." Elizabeth said, extinguishing that tiny flame of hope that had been burning inside Jack.

"We're going to see Will."

"Will? What's he got that can shake this awful predicament I find myself in?"

"Nothing. He just thought you'd maybe like some company." Elizabeth struggled to open the door while supporting Jack. She finally got it cracked open and then used her foot to open it all the way. She felt a shiver run through Jack as he physically shuddered at the cool sea breeze. Jack didn't say anything so they made their way to Will's bunk in silence.

Will heard Jack and Elizabeth coming down the stairs. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He watched as Elizabeth, who was flushed from supporting most of Jack, settled Jack into the hammock opposite Will.

"I'll be around if you need anything." She said, before leaving.

"A drink would be lovely, darling!" Jack called out as she left.

"You do know that she's never going to come back with a drink for you, right mate?"

"Aye." Jack said with a sigh.

"So then why'd you ask to begin with?"

"Because I want a drink."

"But she's not going to give you one." Will shot back.

"Well, she was my only shot at it."

"It seems as though you missed your shot mate." Will commented, trying to get a rise out of Jack. Surprisingly, Jack ignored his comment. He pulled down his hat over his eyes.

"What are you doing?" Will asked with an amused smile.

"I'm taking a nap. What are you doing?" Jack asked from beneath his hat.

"I'm watching you."

"I thought you said you weren't a eunuch. Now stop watching me." Jack said, pulling his hat down even further. Will kept his eye trained on Jack. A minute later, Jack lifted up a corner of his hat and opened his eye to see Will still staring at him.

"What?" Will asked.

"Stop it. I can feel your eyes. It's…creepy." Jack let his hat fall back down. Will still stared at him. Jack repeated his action-lifting up the corner of his hat and opening his eye. When he saw Will still watching him, he sighed and took his hat off.

"You're not going to let me sleep, are you, mate? You know, it's not very nice of someone who works for the Captain of a ship to stare at that Captain while that Captain is trying to sleep and thus causing that said Captain to not be able to sleep."

"What?" Will tried hard to follow what Jack had been saying but he got lost after the third "Captain".

"Exactly." Jack said with a sly smile and then he plopped his hat back on his head. "Now, if you'll excuse me, Mr. Turner, I'd like to go to sleep."

"No." Will replied. Jack rolled his eyes beneath his hat, gave a tremendous sigh and pulled his hat off again.

"Why not?" he asked, clearly frustrated. "Do you like seeing your Captain miserable and suffering?"

"No, and I don't like seeing Elizabeth miserable and suffering either." Will responded. This was going exactly where he wanted it to.

"Elizabeth? The woman's fine, although she can't cook to save her life. I don't know, mate, you may want to rethink the whole Elizabeth thing."

Will rolled his eyes. He had tried, but Jack was stubborn. Elizabeth knew it, he knew it, the crew knew it and Jack himself knew it.

"Go to sleep, Jack."

Jack gave a grin and plopped his hat back on his head and within a few minutes was snoring loudly.

**Wow! I think that's the longest chapter I have ever written for anything. If I could write something that long, surely you can write a short review for it…please : )**


	10. Time to Go

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean. I am merely playing.**

**Wow…all of a sudden the numbers went up! Thank you so much :D I hope you enjoy part 2 of the climax. I am quite fond of it, if I do say so myself. I hope to post more soon but it's Monday tomorrow, which means another week of school. But I'll do my best. Enjoy!**

Will was reading his book, enjoying the silence and tranquility that was hard to find aboard the _Pearl_, when Jack awoke. Will couldn't see Jack's eyes due to his hat but Jack let out a low groan. Will stared at Jack. A moment later, Jack lifted his hat and turned to face Will.

"Are you still watching me sleep, mate?" he asked groggily.

"No." Will answered with a scoff. Jack raised his eyebrows.

"Are you sure? Because my superior intuitive tells me otherwise. Is there any rum about?"

Jack looked around, bending over to check the floor beneath him. He sat up after coming up dry-literally-and Will watched as he swayed slightly. Jack's eyes got big and then returned to their normal size as the blood resettled within him, as it were.

"You alright?" Will asked, somewhat amused. Jack was still looking around for a bottle.

"What? Oh, aye, never better." he said, distracted. Now it was Will who raised his eyebrows but he didn't say anything. After a few moments, Jack gave up on his search for his preferred drink. He settled back into his hammock and gave a tired sigh.

"Jack?" Will asked, feeling a tad concerned.

"Hmm?" Jack didn't open his eyes.

"What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing, mate?"

"You gave up your search for rum." Will noted.

"Is that a question or a statement?" Jack asked.

"A statement."

"Yes. I'll just wait for Elizabeth to come down. She'll appear sooner or later. Can't seem to keep her away from me." Jack smirked and Will gave Jack a dirty look.

"You do know that she's just concerned, right Jack?"

"What was that?" Jack cracked his eyes open slightly.

"Elizabeth…she's just looking out for you." Will repeated. Jack didn't say anything but stared at the ropes that made up the hammock above him. He contemplated what Will had said.

He wasn't used to having someone care about his well-being and it felt strange to have someone constantly looking out for him. He'd been on his own for almost as long as he could remember. He had made a name for himself as Captain Jack Sparrow; a name revered by fellow pirates and royal navy men alike. He had gotten himself there by hard work and looking out for no one but himself.

Jack knew that he had been giving Elizabeth a difficult time. Deep down, he knew she was just concerned, like Will had said. But something about him couldn't bring himself to admit that he needed to lean on someone else, that he needed help. And so he hid behind an arrogant façade made up of insulting remarks and constant pestering-although his requests for rum were not false. Have no doubt, Jack Sparrow found the most relief in his bottle of rum.

"Jack?" Will's voice broke the silence and brought Jack up from the depths of his thoughts.

"Aye." Jack responded quietly, almost reverently. He laid in the hammock in silence, grateful that Will didn't say anything else. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the young sailor pick up his book. Jack could feel the ship rocking gently and for the first time that he could remember, he wished he was on solid land. The rocking was messing with him, setting his stomach and head on different beats. The ropes above Jack were moving as well, causing his head to begin to spin. Jack couldn't remember the last time he felt this horrible; even the after effects of rum weren't this treacherous. Jack squeezed his eyes shut, willing the nausea to go away.

Jack's body suddenly became rigid and his eyes flew open, knowing what was coming. Jack quickly looked around for a bucket to vomit into but one wasn't insight. Jack could feel substance coming up and he knew he had to act quickly. He certainly didn't want to vomit on the floor so he clamped a hand over his mouth and moved as quickly as he could.

"Jack? What are you doing?" Will put down his book when Jack had leapt up.

"No time to talk, mate." Jack said from pursed lips. Will watched as Jack bounded across the belly of the _Pearl _to a porthole, throw the window open and lean out. Will grimaced at the sound and smell as Jack emptied his stomach into the sea. Jack stood there for several moments and then finally pulled his head back in and leaned against the wall. Unable to support himself, he slid down into a sitting position. Will quickly got up and went to his feeble-looking Captain.

"Jack? What's wrong, mate?" he asked, genuinely concerned. Jack didn't respond and Will stood there, wondering what to do. Much to his relief, Elizabeth chose that moment to come down the stairs to check on her two patients. She saw Jack huddled in a ball on the floor with Will standing over him and hurried over to them.

"Jack? Will? What happened?" she asked, crouching beside a lethargic Jack.

"He vomited." Will said, pointing to the open window. Elizabeth looked up and then back to Jack.

"Jack? Can you hear me?" she asked, moving his hair so she could see his face more clearly. It was pale and sweaty.

"Of course I can hear you, Love. I'm sick, not deaf." Jack muttered and Elizabeth gagged at his breath.

"What's wrong, Jack?" she asked, not caring that he had, once again, taken a shot at her.

"I don't know. You're the doctor, not me."

Elizabeth looked up at Will, who was now leaning against a post nearby, evidence that he was not quite well yet.

"I need to get him back to his quarters." she said. "Stay with him. I'm going to get Mr. Gibbs."

Elizabeth hurried up the stairs and Will looked at Jack, lying on the floor looking like as lifeless as a rag doll. Jack met Will's eyes and gave a weak smile.

"You're still watching me, mate."

Will didn't say anything but continued to watch as Jack's eyes slowly slid closed. A moment later, Elizabeth, followed by Mr. Gibbs, came thundering down the stairs.

"Can you stand up, Jack?" Elizabeth asked, helping him into a sitting position. Very slowly, Elizabeth and Mr. Gibbs helped Jack stand up but the moment Jack was totally vertical, he began to sway uncontrollably. If it weren't for Mr. Gibbs, he'd have been on the floor again.

"This be crazy." Mr. Gibbs muttered. He picked Jack up like a baby, surprised that he felt so little in his arms. He carried Jack up the stairs all the way to his cabin. Before Elizabeth followed, she went to Will and took him by the arm and led him back to his bunk and made sure he was comfortable.

"Thank you." she whispered, pressing his hand to her lips.

"You should get to Jack." Will whispered back.

"Aye." Elizabeth let his hand go and was about to head for the stairs when something caught her eye.

"But not without his hat." she said, stooping to pick up Jack's well worn hat before hurrying towards the stairs that led to the deck of the _Black Pearl_.

**Again…such a nice long chapter…review, please?**


	11. We Are But Humble Pirates

**Disclaimer: I don't own POTC. **

**Wow! Numbers are looking really awesome, so thank you, thank you, thank you! I really hope you enjoy this chapter. I'm not sure how I feel about it. I had hoped it would be the best out of the entire story but I don't think it is. It's missing the emotion I had been hoping to capture. But I hope that maybe you still find it enjoyable : ) **

Elizabeth walked wearily up the stairs towards Jack's cabin. She broke into the soft afternoon sunshine and looked up to see all the crew members staring at her. The watched her silently as she walked to Jack's quarters, opened the door and went in. Mr. Gibbs had placed Jack on his bed.

"If ye aren't going to be needing me, then I'll just be on me way." Mr. Gibbs said, passing Elizabeth, heading towards the door. Elizabeth just nodded and set Jack's hat on a chest of drawers. Elizabeth heard the door close behind Mr. Gibbs and she went and sat on the edge of the bed and stared at Jack. Jack opened his eyes halfway and gave out a small groan.

"What's wrong, Jack? Are you going to be sick?" Elizabeth looked around for something that Jack could throw up into and found nothing but her bucket of water that was still sitting on the floor, the rag floating in it. Although it wasn't ideal, Elizabeth could tell by Jack's face that he would need it sooner than later so she retrieved the bucket and placed in on the floor by Jack's head. Not a moment later, Jack leaned over and relieved himself. Water mixed with vomit splattered onto the floor, Elizabeth's shoes and Jack's face and Elizabeth grimaced. Jack coughed and then pushed himself back into a vertical position. Elizabeth took the bucket outside to the deck and dumped it over the side, not caring about the rag that had been in there. She brought the bucket back and left it at Jack's head before finding a washbasin and rag. Elizabeth went down to the kitchen to boil a pot of water. While she waited for it, she went to see Will.

"How's Jack?" Will greeted her, after noticing how tired Elizabeth looked all of a sudden.

"He's not doing well." she said with a sigh. "I don't know what to do to help him, Will. I feel so helpless."

"Elizabeth, look at me." Will said gently. Elizabeth raised her head and met Will's eyes.

"You'll think of something that will help Jack. I'm sure of it. You're a smart woman."

"Thanks." Elizabeth whispered, gaining a little bit of confidence from Will's pep talk. Will smiled at her and watched her leave. Elizabeth retrieved the scalding water and carried it upstairs into Jack's cabin. Her nose told her immediately that Jack had had another accident. Elizabeth poured the water into the washbasin and left it to cool while she emptied Jack's bucket a second time. After carefully replacing it, Elizabeth retrieved the washbasin and brought it to Jack's bed. She set it on the night table and sat down on the edge of the bed, taking the warm rag in her hand. She gently washed the vomit off of Jack's face. At her touch, Jack stirred.

"How are you feeling, Jack?" Elizabeth asked. Jack let out another groan before slipping back into a restless place between asleep and awake. Elizabeth continued to sponge down Jack until his face was as clean as she'd ever seen it. Elizabeth looked around Jack's quarters, wondering what she could do to help the Captain feel better. Her eyes played over many items until she saw the bottle of rum sitting on the table. Rum! Of course! Why didn't she think of it sooner? she wondered as she retrieved the bottle. Elizabeth found an unused wine glass in a cupboard-Jack usually skipped a glass and took his rum from the bottle-and poured a small amount of rum into the bottom. She brought the glass back to Jack's bed.

"Jack." Elizabeth said, gently shaking his shoulder.

"Hmm?" Jack mumbled.

"Jack, I have something for you. It'll make you feel better."

Jack wearily prodded his eyes open.

"Love, there is nothing in the entire Caribbean that could make this go away."

"Not even rum?" Elizabeth offered Jack the glass. Jack looked at the murky brown liquid that he usually loved so much and he could feel his stomach start to rise. He quickly turned his head.

"Not even rum, Lizzie, take it away."

Elizabeth had seen Jack turn a sickly green shade at the sight of the rum. Normally she would just dump the rum into the sea but today she gulped back the drink herself, feeling a little calmer after doing so. Jack opened one of his eyes to see if the rum was gone.

"It's gone, Jack." Elizabeth informed him. Jack unearthed his face from the pillow.

"I feel like I belong in Davy Jones's locker." he said with a heavy sigh.

"I'm sorry, Jack." Elizabeth replied.

"What have you got to be sorry for, Deary? You didn't do this…although I don't think you're cooking helped, to be perfectly honest."

Elizabeth ignored the latter part of Jack's response.

"I just don't know what else to do to make you feel better."

"But you're a pirate, darling. And pirates aren't meant to make people feel good. If we were there would be no reason to get up in the morning."

"It's not the same, Jack." Elizabeth said.

"Well the only one who's disappointed in you is you. I haven't had better care in all my years…although I have had better grub."

Jack just couldn't seem to let that go but Elizabeth smiled at Jack. Jack smiled back before his face twisted and he leaned over the side of his bed once again. Elizabeth sighed. It was nice knowing that Jack didn't hold her accountable but she hoped with all her heart that Jack Sparrow would be better by morning.

**Out of all the chapters, I would love to know what you felt about this one the most. I had tried to capture a certain mood here but I'm not sure what came across. Please let me know what you think of it!**


	12. Parley

**Disclaimer: I don't own POTC.**

**Wow…this is it! I can't believe it's done. It's so different and yet so similar to what I had in mind when I started writing this! I hope you enjoy this last chappie : )**

Elizabeth guessed it somewhere around three o'clock in the morning when Jack's stomach finally settled enough for him to fall into a deep sleep. Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief after half an hour had gone by and Jack was still asleep. She had stayed with him through every bout of vomit, ever spike and fall of fever. She was concerned but it looked as the though the Captain may have finally caught his break. Elizabeth rose and quietly left Jack's quarters and made her way through the damp darkness to her own, where she fell into her own bed and fell asleep instantly.

As tired as Elizabeth was, she was up by seven o'clock. She made her way to the big dining table, which was in reality, a big piece of driftwood that had been smoothed by the countless waves that had washed over it before Jack had discovered it, fell in love with it and ordered it carried upon the _Pearl_. Being so big, it made sense that it be put on a couple of barrels and used for a table. Elizabeth served herself from the pot that was cooking over the fire and took her seat at the table. She was so tired that she didn't notice Will was sitting across from her.

"Good morning." he said with a smile. Elizabeth raised her head from her bowl of porridge and her face broke into a smile.

"Will! So good to see you up and about. How do you feel?" Elizabeth forgot momentarily how tired she was. Will returned her smile.

"I feel fine. I don't think I could stand another hour in bed if my life depended on it. But you look like you could stand a few more hours of shut-eye."

Elizabeth gave a tired laugh.

"I didn't go to bed until almost four o'clock." she said, forcing a bite of disgusting food into her mouth. Of all the meals on the _Pearl_, ffbreakfast was generally the worst but Elizabeth knew that with all the contact with Jack and Will added onto her lack of sleep, she needed the nutrients to keep her strength up. Will's brow wrinkled in concern.

"Why so late?"

"That's when Jack finally fell asleep."

Will didn't say anything but felt genuinely concerned for his friend. After forcing down as much lumpy porridge as possible, he said,

"Take me to see Jack."

Elizabeth looked up from her bowl.

"What?"

"I want to see Jack."

Elizabeth shook her head.

"No, Will, I don't want you to get sick again and -"

"And nothing." Will interrupted her. "I'm fine, I want to see if I can do anything to help Jack."

"I really don't think you should, Will." Elizabeth protested.

"Parley." Will said with a smirk. Elizabeth glared at him.

"The code." Will reminded her, a twinkle in his eye.

"They're more guidelines." she shot back.

"Elizabeth." Will said with a bit of a warning tone. Elizabeth wondered what he might be warning her against.

"Bloody code." Elizabeth muttered under her breath as she rose.

"Fine, let's go."

Elizabeth led the way to Jack's quarters and then opened the door quietly. She and Will walked to Jack's bed. Elizabeth sat on the edge and Will stood behind her. Elizabeth reached over and felt Jack's cheek.

"His fever's still down." she said with a sigh of relief.

"Has he thrown up anymore?" Will asked.

"It doesn't appear so, which means he's finally getting the rest he needs."

At the sound of their voices, Jack opened his eyes. Both heads turned to him as something incomprehensible came out of his mouth. He tried hard to make his mouth form the words that he wanted.

"Oh good. I'm not dead." he succeeded.

"And what makes you say that, mate?" Will asked with a smile. Jack took a moment to focus his eyes on Will.

"I knew I couldn't be in Davy Jones' locker when I saw your angelic faces." Jack said, only half kidding. Will chuckled.

"How do you feel?" Elizabeth asked.

"Don't you worry, Darling, I'm doing much better. Although unexplainably tired."

"You didn't fall asleep until almost three." Elizabeth reminded him.

"Was that what time it was? My stomach lost track of time." Jack was becoming more alert with each moment. He tried to sit up but fell back down, causing Will and Elizabeth to help him sit up and then prop him up with pillows.

"Are you, mate? How are you feeling? If my memory isn't affected, which I sincerely hope it wasn't, you had this forsaken cold too."

"I'm fine, Jack."

"Glad to hear it. At out little get-together yesterday I had to leave quite unexpectedly."

Jack turned to Elizabeth.

"Do you by chance know what became of my hat?"

Elizabeth smiled.

"Your hat's right over there." Elizabeth pointed to the hat sitting on the table. Jack smiled.

"Ah, so it 'tis. Mr. Turner, if you would be so kind."

Will handed Jack his hat, who plopped it on his head.

"I feel better already." Jack said. "Now I'm only missing one thing."

He looked right at Elizabeth.

"Jack, give your stomach a little bit of time. If you can keep down breakfast, then you can have some rum."

"But Elizabeth…" Jack started to protest.

"Jack Sparrow," Elizabeth began.

"Captain. Captain Jack Sparrow." Jack corrected her. Elizabeth ignored him and continued.

"I swear, you drink more rum than any other man I know."

"How do you think I make life interesting?" Jack asked.

"Believe me, you don't need rum to do that, mate. Adventures just seem to blow into your sails." Will answered.

"I wouldn't have it be any other way." Jack told them.

"I would think not." Elizabeth said. "But, for now, Captain Jack-"

"Thank you." Jack interrupted her again. Again, Elizabeth ignored him.

"-you need to get some rest." Elizabeth rose. "I'll bring you something to eat soon."

Elizabeth left, leaving Will and Jack alone.

"She's a heart of gold, mate. Hang onto that one." Jack advised Will after Elizabeth had gone.

"Aye. It seems as though she's sailed us through a whole new horizon, mate."

"How does that song go?" Jack mumbled to himself. "Da da da da da da…and really bad eggs…"

"…Drink up me hearties." Will continued.

"Yo ho!" they finished the last line of the song together. Jack smiled and then looked at Will.

"Got any rum, mate?"

**Please review?**

**I just want to take another opportunity to thank all my readers for their faithfulness in reading and reviewing! You guys ROCK! I sincerely hoped you enjoy **_**A Whole New Horizon**_**.**

**Happy reading and writing!**

**StoryLover18**


	13. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean.**

**Hey everyone….I just wanted to once again thank all of you for reading and reviewing **_**A Whole New Horizon**_**. I hope it was everything you hoped it would be. And now, I have this very cute epilogue in my head and let's hope it comes out as nicely in words as in my mind : )**

Over a week had passed since Will and Jack had been plagued by the flu. Jack had taken another three days after his night of vomiting before finally being able to stand on the bridge of the _Black Pearl_, feeling the wind in hair and the spray of the sea on his face. Now in that glorious place, he stared at his ship, watching his crew work. He could feel something was wrong and it took him a moment to place what it was. Neither Will nor Elizabeth were in sight and Jack hadn't seen heads or tails of either of them since last night when Elizabeth had left the table without finishing her meal, followed by Will a few moments later.

"Master Gibbs!" Jack shouted and watched as the stout man dashed up the stairs and joined him on the bridge.

"Aye, Captain."

"Take the wheel, please." Jack, grabbing the bottle of rum sitting near the wheel, left without further instruction.

"Aye." Mr. Gibbs responded, although Jack wasn't listening. Taking a gulp of rum, Jack went off in search of Elizabeth and Will. After searching half the ship, he finally stumbled upon them in Elizabeth's cabin. Without bothering to knock, Jack threw the door open, figuring that if being Captain meant he couldn't go anywhere on his ship without knocking first, the title wasn't much more than permission to wear a tri-cone hat. Will jumped as the door flew open.

"Ah, Will, Elizabeth, I've been looking every where for you."

Jack strode into the small cabin, still clutching his precious bottle of rum.

"What's wrong with her?" he asked, staring at Elizabeth. Elizabeth was in bed, looking quite pale with a greenish tint to her skin. She had opened her eyes lazily when the door had opened but they had slid closed after a few seconds. In Will's opinion, it was pretty clear what was wrong with her.

"What do you think?" he asked, turning back to face Elizabeth. He began sponging down her face and neck, much like she had done to him, using a rag from a bucket that Jack now noticed on the floor.

Jack opened his mouth to return some quirky response but closed it before he could say something that would offend either one of them. After all, they had taken care of him patiently-or at least semi-patiently for a sum total of 5 days. Jack then opened his mouth again only to close it again. Finally, he held out the bottle of rum.

"You want some rum, Elizabeth?" Jack asked. Elizabeth cracked her eyes open and gave Jack a dull stare. Her face changed before she could say anything. Luckily, Will knew what that meant and was able to have something there for Elizabeth to vomit in. Jack crinkled his nose as she vomited. Will, on the other hand, held back Elizabeth's hair with his free hand and waited until she was done before lowering the bucket and soothingly rubbing her back. Jack waited until she was comfortable again before asking,

"So that's no to the rum, then?"

**So I hope that was sufficient for you. As it is Thanksgiving weekend, I want to again share how thankful I am for all my readers and fellow writers. Being able to read and write is like being able to be whoever you want to be and to have as many adventures as you can think of and it's truly a great blessing. **

**On a different note, I have an idea for another POTC story but I can't decide if it's any good or not. Should it ever materialize, it would be entitled **_**Pieces of Time**_** and it would look at Jack's history and the stories of how he acquired so many of his effects, for example his reindeer bone, striped cloth sash and so on. Please review and let me know what you think of this idea! If it's popular enough, I'll write a chapter and see how it goes.**

**I hope you all have a blessed Thanksgiving and happy reading and writing!**

**~StoryLover18**


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